Ashfall Dominion

1

Zerena was six when she first saw her mother cry. It was the night of the election results. The television flickered with the face of the newly elected president, Kalen Draxwell, a man with a cold smile and empty promises. Her mother's shoulders shook as she sat on the worn couch, her head buried in her hands. Zerena didn't understand why at the time, but the tears frightened her.

"Mom?" Zerena's small voice broke the silence. Her mother wiped her face quickly, forcing a weak smile. "It's nothing, sweetie. Go to bed." But the weight in her voice said otherwise.

Two days later, everything changed. Armed men knocked on their door in the early hours of the morning. Her mother whispered hurried instructions to Zerena, clutching her tightly before leading her out the back door. "Stay with Aunt Malie," she said, her voice trembling. "I'll come for you when it's safe."

Zerena didn't want to go. She didn't want to leave her mother. But the fear in her eyes made her obey. From a safe distance, she watched as the men dragged her mother away, her cries swallowed by the night.

That was the last time Zerena saw her.

The days that followed were a blur of confusion and grief. The streets were filled with whispers of rebellion and the president's new regime. Kalen Draxwell had promised order, but all Zerena saw was chaos.

Even as a child, she knew something was wrong. The world felt colder, harsher.

...

Zerena sat on the dusty floor of their small, crumbling house, her knees pulled tightly to her chest. It had been days since the election, and the world felt heavier. Kalen Draxwell's victory had cast a shadow over everything. Their quiet neighborhood was no longer safe, her mother had warned. And now, they had to leave.

Her aunt, Malie, packed quickly, her face tense. "We don't have a choice, Zerena," she said, avoiding the girl's wide, tear-filled eyes. Zerena clung to her aunt's arm as they stepped outside, where soldiers waited with blank expressions.

"The house will be demolished soon," one of them barked. "Move along."

They were being shoved off to a designated district-nothing more than a collection of cold, crowded shelters. Zerena's tiny fingers tightened around Malie's, her voice shaking. "I don't want to leave. I don't want to lose you, too."

Her aunt knelt down, brushing ash from Zerena's cheek. "I'll find you. We'll be together again. Just stay strong, alright?" But her words felt hollow as the soldiers pulled them apart.

Zerena screamed, kicking at the ground, reaching for her aunt as she was dragged in the opposite direction. Her cries echoed in the cold air, but no one listened.

Hours later, she was crammed into a single room with strangers, staring at the broken ceiling. The warmth of her aunt's hand was gone, replaced by the sharp sting of abandonment. Zerena realized something then: no one was coming to save them. Not her aunt, not her mother.

And Kalen Draxwell's Dominion had only just begun.

[CURRENT TIME]

“Zerena. Zerena, wake up!”

She stirred at the sound of her name, groggy and irritated. A hand shook her shoulder, breaking through the haze of restless sleep. Opening her eyes, Zerena found herself staring at Kiva, one of the women she shared the overcrowded quarters with.

“It’s inspection day,” Kiva whispered urgently.

Zerena sat up slowly, her body aching from another night on the hard cot. As she rubbed her eyes, her thoughts drifted, bitter and sharp.